Typical hydraulic power steering gears for automobiles have relatively rotatable valve elements connected to input and output members of the steering gear and a torsion bar which resists relative rotation between the input and output members. U.S. Pat. No. 2939429, issued 7 June 1960 to L. L. Charlson, describes a non-torsion bar steering gear, i.e. a rotary valve steering gear without a torsion bar between input and output members of the steering gear, in which detent elements on a valve spool are spring biased into detent grooves in a valve sleeve and resist relative rotation between the valve sleeve and the valve spool. In addition, steering assist boost pressure is ported behind the detent elements to increase resistance to relative rotation between the valve spool and valve sleeve as boost pressure increases. An automotive power steering gear according to this invention is a non-torsion bar steering gear featuring improved detent reaction means and control therefor.